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TALLAHASSEE — Nearly halfway through Florida's legislative session, consensus remains elusive on nearly every major issue: health care, conservation, school testing, the budget and tax cuts. The only substantive bill that has been passed so far moves the presidential-primary date in 2016 to March 15. It's not unusual for the Legislature to leave most of the large issues until late in the session, but with the House and Senate sharply divided on major bills and the uncertainty surrounding the budget, little else has been accomplished so far this year either. Lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget, but because of stark differences on health-care...

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TALLAHASSEE — Nearly halfway through Florida's legislative session, consensus remains elusive on nearly every major issue: health care, conservation, school testing, the budget and tax cuts.The only substantive bill that has been passedso far...

A standoff continued this week between the Florida Senate and House over health-care policy that has left the two chambers more than $4 billion apart on their budget proposals.
Where was Gov. Rick Scott on the issue? MIA.
Instead, Scott was at the...

EUSTIS — A former Pasco County official who has been with the city for about six months has been named to succeed Jim Myers, the city's longtime finance director.
Colleen Scott's appointment came last week on the same night Ronald Neibert, currently...

President Obama's proposal for two years of free community college is essential for the United States because it will improve access to higher education for legions of Americans and because we all benefit from a more-educated citizenry.
According to...

SANFORD — In 1998, Donald Heflin Mitchell Jr. pretended to be the business manager of Penny Hardaway, an All-Star guard for the Orlando Magic.
Mitchell convinced a SunTrust employee to send $59,000 to a local Toyota dealer, where Mitchell had picked...

TALLAHASSEE — Despite having one of the most powerful state legislators behind the project, funding for the proposed UCF downtown campus isn't specifically set out in the budget — at least not yet.
Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, said the...

It sounds so easy. Crisis arises, but your wallet's full of cobwebs. Solution? Visit a payday lender. Yet, the commercials conveniently ignore the steep interest rates that can soar as high as 650 percent annually for lump-sum loans. Now the Consumer...

Even as the University of Central Florida has transformed from a commuter school into the second-biggest institution in the country, some alumni are concerned its endowment is lagging behind.
The UCF Foundation's endowment, used to help pay for...

TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Rick Scott's desires to reduce debt, cut taxes and pay for school construction projects could hinder efforts to secure state funding for a proposed UCF downtown campus.
The campus, which could serve 13,000 students and would include...

TALLAHASSEE - House and Senate leaders agree on this much: it’s early.
House leaders came out with budget allocations Friday, basically a rough outline of how much the chamber will spend in different areas of the budget. The Senate plans to release...

TAVARES — Lake officials proposed a tentative $10 million budget at a meeting this week to fund the county's public transportation services.
Dottie Keedy, community services director, told commissioners the proposed budget reflects an increase in grant...

A bill to legalize equity crowdfunding in Florida is gaining traction in the state Legislature, thanks in part to three Orlando businessmen.
A similar effort failed to launch in Tallahassee last year, partly because of concerns raised by the Florida...

Now that a plan to expand health insurance coverage to at least 800,000 Floridians has won unanimous, bipartisan approval in a state Senate committee, it's past time for the House's Republican majority to stop stonewalling the initiative.
Only politics...

Orlando-based CNL Financial Group is launching a new energy fund with a target of $1.3 billion in assets.
At the same time, the company revealed Tuesday that one of its real estate investment funds, CNL Lifestyle Properties, suffered a 24 percent drop in...

Q: I have about $40,000 in credit card and car loan debt. What is the best way to get money out of my home? Would it be better to refinance or take out a home equity line? — S.F., Orlando
A: If you don't plan on moving for at least a number of years,...

There’s a new resource in downtown Orlando for women-owned businesses, courtesy of Melbourne-based Florida Institute of Technology (FIT).
The new center opens at a time when local experts have noted a surge in women among local tech companies.
...

U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson is pushing a proposal that he says would prevent future government shutdowns over partisan disputes.
Grayson, D-Orlando, is seeking co-sponsors for a "Shut Down the Shutdowns Act" to ensure stop-gap funding would continue...

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Rick Scott wants federal dollars for a Medicaid program, just not the federal funds for the Medicaid expansion envisioned by the Affordable Care Act.
He penned a letter Wednesday to President Obama asking the agency in charge of...